Attorney General Josh Stein today reminded North Carolinians to secure their information following Change Healthcare’s February data breach. The total number or identity of affected breach victims is not yet known, but Change has estimated that up to one-third of all Americans may have been impacted by the breach. Change, the nation’s biggest electronic data clearinghouse, hasn’t yet provided individual notice to consumers whose personal data may have been leaked onto the dark web.
Attorney General Stein emphasized the importance of awareness and proactive measures: “We don’t yet know who was impacted by this enormous data breach,” said Attorney General Josh Stein. “I’m going to make sure that Change Healthcare does right by people who were affected, but in the meantime, I want North Carolinians to take steps to secure their financial and medical information. Monitor or freeze your credit and keep an eye out for possible signs of a scam – it’s always better to be safe than sorry.”
The cyberattack on Change’s technology interrupted operations for thousands of doctors’ offices, hospitals, and pharmacies. Tens of thousands of providers, pharmacies, and insurers use Change’s infrastructure to verify insurance, confirm pre-authorization of procedures or services, exchange insurance claim data, and perform other essential health care tasks.
In April, Attorney General Stein sent a letter to UnitedHealth Group, Inc. — the nation’s largest health insurer and the parent company of Change Healthcare — urging the corporation to take more meaningful action to better protect providers, pharmacies, and patients harmed by the recent breach.
For those who believe they may have been impacted by the breach, two years of free credit monitoring and identity theft protections are available. Additionally, individuals can consider freezing their credit if they prefer not to use these resources. A credit freeze prevents creditors—such as banks or lenders—from accessing people’s credit reports. This measure can stop identity thieves from taking out new loans or credit cards in consumers' names because creditors will not approve loans or credit requests without access to credit reports.
By law, a credit bureau must allow you to place, temporarily lift, or remove a credit freeze for free. When consumers freeze their credit with each bureau, they will receive a personal identification number (PIN). This PIN can be used to unfreeze their credit if they wish to apply for a loan or new credit card and can also be used again after applications are completed.
To effectively freeze your credit protection with each major bureau: